Colombia Paramilitary Scandal: Colombia Militia Scandals Touch 2 Top Ministers

Reporters were barred from proceedings at the Medellin attorney general's office. But judicial sources and witnesses representing victims said Mancuso testified he met with Vice President Francisco Santos and Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos from 1996 to 1997 before they were in government and before Uribe became president. The Santoses are cousins and belong to one of Colombia's most influential families. At the time of the meetings alleged by Mancuso, the vice president was a columnist at the Santos family-owned El Tiempo newspaper and the defense minister was a private citizen. Mancuso testified Francisco Santos met with paramilitary commanders to talk about the idea of a militia group to fight guerrillas in the Bogota area, Carlos Ivan Lopera, a lawyer for victims who was allowed to attend the testimony, told Reuters. "Mancuso said Pacho (Francisco) Santos was presented with a countersubversive project on three occasions and that he appeared to favor it," Lopera said. Lopera said Mancuso testified that Juan Manuel Santos also met with paramilitaries to talk over an alliance to defeat then-President Ernesto Samper. Samper governed Colombia from 1994 to 1998 but faced a crisis over charges his campaign received funds from drug traffickers. Source: Reuters [ http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N15470753.htm ] CONTEXT INFORMATION: http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/2007/04/28/colombia-paramilitary-scandal-crimes-and-media-coincidences/ http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/2007/04/19/colombia-the-disappointing-debate-on-paramilitarism-in-antioquia/

Note: http://www.alertnet.org... http://www.globalvoices... http://www.globalvoices...